ALBANY - Under the age of 18? You're no longer allowed in New York's tanning beds.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Thursday prohibiting tanning salons from allowing anyone under the age of 18 to use indoor, ultraviolet tanning devices, tightening the state law already preventing most teens from using them.
Under previous law, 17-year-olds were allowed to use a tanning bed with a parent's written consent.
That's no longer the case under the new law: Everyone under the age of 18 is prohibited.
The new law took effect immediately after Cuomo signed it.
"We have long known the dangers of indoor tanning and the devastating health risks that go along with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays," Cuomo said in a statement.
"By further limiting our children from exposing themselves to this health risk, we can stop the spread of preventable disease and help save lives."
The bill was sponsored by Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern, Rockland County, and Sen. Phil Boyle, R-Suffolk County.
"By prohibiting 17-year-olds from using tanning facilities, my bill will help prevent these children from making uninformed decisions, and reduce the serious and sometimes deadly health risks that have been well documented by medical experts," Jaffee said in a statement.
The new law was cheered by the American Cancer Society's lobbying arm, which had helped push lawmakers to pass it earlier this year.
“The bottom line is indoor tanning devices are dangerous, particularly for the young," said Julie Hart, the society's New York government relations director. "Ultraviolet radiation emitted from tanning devices is one of the most avoidable known risk factors for skin cancer."
A representative for the American Suntanning Association, a national group representing tanning salons, said the state should focus more on educating the public on how to prevent sunburn rather than implementing bans.
"Many families choose to use sunbeds in professional salons before taking sunny vacations and therefore rather than ban indoor tanning in a professional salon for minors, we think parental consent is the better approach," said Joe Levy, the association's director of scientific affairs.
